Electrical receptacle device with main lamp and thermostatically-controlled auxiliary lamp sockets



Sept. 10, 1968 H. HERION 3,401,368

ELECTRICAL RECEPTACLE DEVICE WITH MAIN LAMP ANDTHERMOSTATICALLY-CONTROLLED AUXILIARY LAMP SOCKETS Filed Feb. 12, 1968 gas INVENTOR. HENRY HE RIO/U M H- SM HTTORNEY- United States Patent3,401,368 ELECTRICAL RECEPTACLE DEVICE WITH MAIN LAMP ANDTHERMOSTATICALLY- CONTROLLED AUXILIARY LAMP SOCKETS Henry Herion, 216Sutherland St.,

. City Island, N. 10464 Filed Feb. 12, 1968, Ser. No. 704,845 6 Claims.(Cl. 3371) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An electrical receptacle devicehaving a main lamp socket and an auxiliary lamp socket adapted toreceive an auxiliary lamp operative only upon failure of a main lamp inthe main lamp socket. The two sockets are arranged in inverted Vdisposition in a common housing providing a heating chamber between thesocket screw-base ferrules. A spiral-wound bi-metallic conductor isarranged in the heating chamber, having one end atiixed to the main lampsocket ferrule and the other end extending through a side opening in theauxiliary lamp socket ferrule for movement in and out of contact,selectively, with the screw-base electrode of an auxiliary lamp in theauxiliary lamp socket in response to temperature conditions in theheating chamber effected by non-operation and operation, respectively,of a main lamp in the main lamp socket.

In my United States Patent No. 3,321,595, issued May 23, 1967, Idisclose an electric lamp receptacle device for warning of failure of anassociated main lamp and at the same time providing illumination from anauxiliary lamp or lamps until the failure is corrected by replacement ofthe main lamp. Such devices have application particularly in multipledwelling buildings, factories, hospitals, schools, institutions andother buildings wherein it is necessary for public safety and oftenrequired by law to have continuous illumination in hallways, Stairways,at entrances, exits, in cellars etc. The device of the above-mentionedpatent insures that illumination continues by the automatic energizationof an auxiliary lamp upon burn-out or breakage of the main lamp, andthat warning is given so that the custodian will make the necessaryreplacement.

The present invention has for its principal object the provision of animproved and simplified electric lamp receptacle device of the characterdescribed above and including a main socket for receiving the mainlighting lamp, and an auxiliary socket for receiving either an auxiliarylamp or an extension cord plug having an auxiliary lamp or other warningdevice at its remote end, and including thermostatically controlledmeans for energizing the auxiliary socket upon failure of a lamp in themain socket, whereby said auxiliary lamp serves as notice that the mainlamp has failed.

A more particular object is to provide a lamp receptacle device of theabove nature wherein the main and auxiliary lamp socket ferrules are ininverted V formation within a housing providing a heating chambertherebetween enclosing a bi-metallic element. One end of the bi-metallicelement is secured to the main lamp socket ferrule and the other endextends through an opening in the auxiliary lamp ferrule socket to movebetween positions in and out of contact with an auxiliary lamp screwbasecontact shell, selectively, in response to temperature changes withinthe heating chamber effected by nonoperation and operation respectively,of the main lamp.

Another object is to provide an improved thermostatically-controlledelectric lamp receptacle device of the above nature which, because ofits simplicity, low cost, compactness and ease of installation, isparticularly well Patented Sept. 10, 1968 ICC suited to use in smallapartment buildings and low cost public housing.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparentfrom the following description when read with reference to theaccompanying drawings. In the drawings, wherein like reference numeralsdenote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a thermostaticallycontrolled lampreceptacle device embodying the invention, shown fitted with main andauxiliary lamps;

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the receptacle device, onan enlarged scale; and

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line 3-3 ofFIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, 10 designates athermostatically-controlled lamp receptacle embodying the invention,illustrated equipped with a main lamp M, as the principal source ofillumination, and an auxiliary lamp A, serving to provide illuminationonly upon failure due to burn-out or breakage of the main lamp, thedevice including heat-responsive means controlled by the energization ofthe main lamp for energizing the screw-base socket for the auxiliarylamp, as is hereinbelow explained.

The receptacle device 10 comprises a housing 11 having complemental,longitudinally-divided half-shell mem bers 12, 13, which are preferablymolded of a non-electrically conductive material such as Bakelite.Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 it will be seen that the half-shell members12 and 13 are each integrally formed with an upwardlyextending neckportion 14, and outwardly and downwardly extending shoulder portions 15and 16 the outer ends of which terminate in opposed, inwardly-inclinedend wall portions 17 and 18 defining, with said shoulder portions, agenerally square shape from the upper apex of which the neck portion 14extends. The half-shell members 12, 13 are held in assembled relation byan externally-threaded metal screw plug ferrule 19 screwed over the neckportion ends of said half-shell members, said neck portions beingmolded, as illustrated in FIG. 3, with external threads 20 for thispurpose, and a recessed nut and bolt, indicated at 21 in FIG. 3,extending transversely through said half-shell members at a positionopposite said ferrule and near the lower apices of said half-shellmembers.

The shoulder portions 15, 16 of the half-shell members, 12, 13 areformed with complimental semi-cylindrical recesses 22, 22a within whichare fitted metal screwbase ferrules 23, 24, respectively, saidscrew-base ferrules being secured in place by means of outwardly-flaredouter end portions 25 thereof being interlockingly fitted withincomplemental annular undercuts of seats 26 formed near the outer ends ofsaid semi-cylindrical recesses.

The outer ends of the neck portions 14 of the half-shell members 12 and13 are formed with a tapered, rectangular opening 27 for the receptiontherein of a bent-metal strip 28 serving as an electrical conductor andcenter contact for and between the neck contact ferrule 19 and thescrew-base ferrules 23, 24. To this end, the metal strip 28 issymmetrical about its longitudinal center and formed with a double-bentcontact tip portion 29 extending slightly outwardly of the neck opening27, downwardlyextending, side-by-side central portions 30, 31,outwardlyextending portions 32 and 33, respectively, and terminal endportions 34, 35, respectively, passing through slots 36, 37,respectively, formed in dividing walls 38, 39 integrally formed withinthe half-shell members 12, 13 at the inner ends of theirsemi-cylindrical recesses 22, 22a, respectively. As best illustrated inFIG. 2, the terminal end portions 34, 35 extend outwardly of the centralzones of the screw-base ferrules 23, 24, respectively, and serve aselectrical contacts'for the screw-base center terminals of the. mainandauxiliary lamps. The bent-metal strip 28 is preferably of hard brass,alloyed to provide substantial resiliency at the terminal contact endsthereof. As additional means for holding the bent-metal contact strip 28in place, the half-shell members 12, 13 have molded therein, within thechamber 40 defined by the neck portions 14 thereof and the partitionwalls 38, 39, opposed posts 41, 42, respectively, the outer ends ofwhich are bifurcated to provide a slot through which the lower ends ofthe central portions 30, 31 of said contact strip extend. The main lampscrew-base ferrule 24 is formed, at its inner end, with an integral,outwardly-extending tongue portion 43, extending through a slot 44 inthe half-shell partition wall 39 and thence through a slot 45 in theneck portion 14, whereat it is bent double to the outside, as indicatedat 46, to make electrical contact with the ferrule 19 when screwed inplace upon assembly of the device as described above. 7

Means is provided for energizing an auxiliary lamp A screwed into thescrew-base ferrule 23 only upon failure of an energized main lamp M inthe main lamp socket comprising the main lamp screw-base ferrule 24. Tothis end, an arcuate bi-rnetallic element 47 is disposed within asubstantially rectangular chamber 48 defined within the half-shellmembers 12, 13 at the lower corner or apex thereof between thescrew-base ferrules 23, 24, said bimetallic element being welded at oneend to the outside of the main lamp ferrule 24. The bi-metallic element47, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, extends down and around the nut andbolt 21 to terminate in a reversely-bent, tapered contact tip portion 49extending through a rectangular opening 50 in the screw-base ferrule 23.It will be seen that normally, i.e. with the device deenergized, thecontact tip portion 49 of the bi-metallic element 47 will be in contactwith the metallic screw-base contact shell of an auxiliary lamp Ascrewed into the receptacle ferrule 23. In operation it will thus beapparent that when the thermostatically-controlled lamp receptacle isfirst screwed into an electrical receptacle serving as a source ofelectrical supply, both the main lamp M and the auxiliary lamp A will belighted or energized, the main lamp ferrule 24 being energized throughits tongue portion 43 connected to the energization ferrule 19, and theauxiliary lamp A being energized by electrical connection with the mainlamp ferrule 24 through the bi-metallie element 47, as described above.A short time after its having been energized, however, heat given off bythe main lamp M will be conducted in sufiicient quantity into theheating chamber 48 and to the bi-metallic element 47 therein to effectwithdrawal of the tip portion 49 thereof out of contact with themetallic screw-base contact terminal of the auxiliary lamp, therebyopen-circuiting the energizing connection to said auxiliary lamp, asillustrated by the broken-line representation of said bi-metallicelement in FIG. 3. In this connection it is to be noted that thebimetallic element 47 is so designed that when heated by heat radiatedfrom the neck of a main lighting lamp M in the main lamp receptacle, andconducted to the fixed portion of the ferrule 24, it contracts radiallyto turn away from the screw-base of the auxiliary lamp, within theconfines of the rectangular ferrule opening 50.

It is further to be understood that the auxiliary lamp A, being ofsubstantially lesser wattage than that of the main lamp M, will not,when energized as an emergency lighting lamp, give off sufliicient heatto actuate, i.e. disconnect, the bi-metallic element, inasmuch as theexpansion is solely initiated from the attached end and then transmittedto the loose end for the required action.

In use, it is a simple matter to place my improved safety device in anordinary lamp socket and place main and auxiliary lamps in thereceptacle device sockets for operation as described above.Alternatively, an extension cord leading from the auxiliarylamp sockettoa supervised remote place to give, by means of a lamp or other signaldevice, warning that the associated main lamp needs replacement, couldbe used.

While I have illustrated herein only one form in which my invention canconveniently be embodied in practice, it is to be understood that thisform is given by way of example only, and not in a limiting sense. Theinvention, in brief, comprises all of the embodiments and modificationscoming within the scope and spirit of the following claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an electrical receptacle device withmainlamp andthermostatically-controlled auxiliary lamp sockets, the combinationcomprising, a housing member, a neck portion extending outwardly of oneend of said housing member, a cylindrical screw plug ferrule envelopingsaid neck portion, said housing enclosing main and auxiliary lampsockets in mutual inverted V disposition at the other end of saidhousing, a heating chamber within said hous ing and between said mainand auxiliary lamp sockets, said main and auxiliary sockets comprisingmain and auxiliary lamp socket ferrules, respectively, electricalconductor means interconnecting said screw plug ferrule and said mainlamp socket ferrule, electrical circuit means in terconnecting said mainlamp socket ferrule and an auxiliary lamp in said auxiliary lamp socket,and heat-responsive switch means in said heating chamber operative toopen circuit in response to heat generated 'in said chamber by anenergized lamp in said main lamp socket.

2. An electrical receptacle device as defined in claim 1 wherein saidheat-responsive switch means comprises an arcuate bi-metallic elementhaving one end fixed to said main lamp socket ferrule and the other endmovable, selectively, into and out of contact with the screw base shellcontact element of the auxiliary lamp.

3. An electrical receptacle device as defined in claim 2 including anopening in said auxiliary lamp socket ferrule through which said otherend of said bi-metallic element extends. a

4. An electrical receptacle device as defined in claim 3 wherein saidelectrical conductor means comprises a tongue portion integrally formedwith said main lamp socket ferrule and extending upwardly within saidhousing and through an opening in said neck portion to be contacted bysaid cylindrical screw plug ferrule.

5. An electrical receptacle device as defined in claim 3 wherein saidhousing is in the form of a pair of complemental half-shells, saidcylindrical screw plug member serving to hold said half-shells togetherat the neck end thereof, and nut and bolt means between said sockets forholding said half-shells together at the'opposite end thereof.

6. An electrical receptacle device as defined in claim 1 wherein saidhousing is in the form of a pair of complemental half-shells, eachhalf-shell being formed with a recess, said recesses together definingsaid heating -cha'm-- ber, said heating chamber being entirely enclosedwithin said housing, said switch means comprising a bi-metallic elementenclosed within said chamber.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,428,909 10/1950 Krakauer 20'0118 X 2,428,441 10/1947 Waters 200118 BERNARD A. GILHEANY, PrimaryExaminer. H. B. GILSON, Assistant Examiner.

